Professional Profile

Professional Appointments

Assistant Professor, Equine Science University of Kentucky, Department of Animal and Food Science August 1, 2008 - Current 60% research, 40% teaching Studying protein and amino acid requirements and metabolism in horses of all ages and physiological states. Determining the factors that regulate muscle protein synthesis and how these factors change during the aging process.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Publications

Urschel, K.L., J. Escobar, L.J. McCutcheon, and R.J. Geor. 2011. Feeding a high protein diet following an 18-hour period of feed withholding increases mTOR-dependent signaling in skeletal muscle of mature horses. American Journal of Veterinary Research 72(2): 248-255.

Urschel KL, Pencharz PB and Ball RO. Ornithine metabolism, but not arginine synthesis, is affected by the addition of ornithine to an arginine-deficient diet in enterally-fed piglets. Livestock Sci, 108(1-3): 137-141, 2007. (From the 10th International Symposium on Digestive Physiology in Pigs, Denmark 2006)

Education

Post-doctoral Fellowship

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University April 2007 - July 2008 Dr. Raymond Geor and Dr. Jeffery Escobar Development of isotopic techniques to study protein and amino acid metabolism and requirements in horses. These newly developed techniques will then be applied in order to study the effects of aging on amino acid requirements, metabolism and muscle protein synthesis in young adult and geriatric horses.

Doctor of Philosophy degree

University of Alberta September 2002- June 2007 Thesis Title: Arginine synthesis and metabolism in neonatal piglets

Bachelor's degree

University of Alberta September 1998- April 2002 Bachelor's of Science in Agriculture (major in Animal Science) with distinction *Convocated with the Dean's medal in Agriculture awarded to the top student graduating from the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Home Economics